This page remains for historic purposes, but many of these films are no longer necessary for biologists, and some are unavailable.
| Monochrome Continuous Tone |
Monochrome High Contrast |
Color Continuous Tone |
Color High Contrast |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | Polapan | Polagraph | Ektachrome Fujichrome Polachrome Kodachrome Agfachrome |
Polachrome HC Ektachrome HC |
| Negative | T-Max Tri-X E.M. films |
Polablue Kodalith |
Kodacolor Vericolor Fujicolor |
Vericolor SO-279 |
Ektachrome is an example of a continuous-tone color positive film. These
films are ordinarily used for color "slides" or transparencies, and are most appropriate for organisms, landscapes, apparatus, lab scenes, and photomicrographs of color-stained tissues.
Kodacolor is an example of a continuous-tone color negative film. These
are color print films - the negatives are used to make positive color prints. These films are generally unsatisfactory for projection, because they have an orange mask as part of the film base.
Polapan is an example of a continuous-tone monochrome positive film:
it is a "black-and-white slide" film, producing transparencies in shades of gray. These films are suitable for rephotographing electron micrographs and other monochrome photographic prints.
T-Max is an example of a continuous-tone monochrome negative film.
These films are "black-and-white print" films; the negatives are used to make positive continuous-tone prints. These films are generally not suitable for projection.
Polachrome HC is an example of a high-contrast color positive film. None of
these films are truly high-contrast, but they provide more saturated colors than ordinary color positive films. These films are most suited to use in computer slide makers.
Vericolor SO-279 (Vericolor Slide Film) is an example of a high-contrast
color negative film. It is not truly high-contrast, but it provides more saturated colors than ordinary color negative films, and it lacks the orange mask. It is best used to photograph color artwork
prepared in complementary colors (see color wheel).
Polagraph is an example of a high-contrast monochrome positive film.
These films are best used for black-and-white artwork.
Polablue is an example of a high-contrast monochrome negative film.
These films are best used for black-and-white artwork.